Nutrients and Fertilizer
• Feed Your Food
• Water
• Nutrients
• Garden Fertilizer
• Can’t I Use Something Else?
Feed Your Food:
It’s been said that luck is nothing more than a combination of preparation and opportunity. Experienced growers know that, when it comes to hydroponics nutrients and garden fertilizers, what comes out of your garden depends largely on what you put into it. Wishing for a lucky green thumb? Maximize your preparation and opportunity by researching your options before your seeds sprout!
Water
Speaking of preparation, don’t forget that the operative root of “hydroponics” is “hydro.” Your fertilizer and nutrients must all be well mixed into water so, for the best results, start with the best water you can find. This might involve acquiring a reverse osmosis filter, or purchasing distilled water. Some growers prefer pure rainwater, and others feel that tap water is fine, provided it is soft water, or you have a filter on your tap. However, your tap water may have a high salt content, in which case it won’t be suitable for young plants, and depending on where you live, rainwater may not be particularly pure or easy to obtain. In any case, be vigilant in monitoring the pH: it should stay in the range of 5.5 to 6.5, and you will need to add an Up or Down solution if the numbers vary too much.
Nutrients
With literally hundreds of products available for your hydro garden, choosing the best ionic hydroponic nutrients can be a daunting task. Can you get good results with a cheap nutrient solution, or should you go with the most expensive? Can you make your own? (Unless you’re a chemist, it’s not advised.) What are you looking for, anyway?
Let’s consider the main nutrients your plants need to thrive. Macronutrients are those required in larger doses, while micronutrients are important, but needed in smaller quantities.
Magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus are among the macronutrients you’ll find in nutrient solutions. Magnesium helps your plants produce the enzymes that let them grow to maximum size. Potassium is utilized in myriad ways: this chemical encourages photosynthesis (the transformation of light into food), growth, protein formation, and fruiting. Plus, it helps your plants fight off diseases and bacteria. Phosphorus also stimulates photosynthesis and strengthens your crops; it helps form healthy roots and flowers, and keeps your plants healthy even in the face of stressors like unhealthy temperature or movement. Calcium, another macronutrient, creates healthy cell walls and protects the plant from salt and acid, while sulfur is important in the production of proteins, enzymes, vitamins, among other things. Nitrogen is another macronutrient, which we’ll discuss in the fertilizer section.
While micronutrients are needed in lesser amounts, they are no less important than the macronutrients. Your hydroponic nutrient solution should also include chloride and manganese. Chloride is a chemical that naturally occurs in soil, so it’s a special consideration in hydroponics, as it’s necessary for the plant to process energy. All plants require manganese, as well, as this micronutrient is necessary in converting energy into carbohydrates. In fact, there are a number of other micronutrients that occur naturally in soil, and must be added to any hydroponic system: boron helps the plant regulate nutrients and produce sugars, copper creates healthy roots and reproduction, iron is also important in chlorophyll production, molybdenum aids the plant utilize available nitrogen, and zinc helps regulate growth and carbohydrates.
Garden Fertilizer
Garden fertilizers are just as important as nutrient solutions for plant growth. As with nutrients, it’s not advised to use products intended for soil gardens. In general hydroponics fertilizer contains some of the same ingredients as the nutrient solutions (such as phosphorus and potassium), but the most important element of useful hydroponic fertilizers is nitrogen, derived from nitrates.
All living cells and proteins utilize nitrogen, which helps with metabolic processes, such as the transfer of energy. Plants require nitrogen to create chlorophyll, the pigment that gives your plants their green color and allows them to photosynthesize the sun’s energy. This helps your crops grow quickly to lush health, encouraging strong leaves and abundant seeds and fruit.
Can’t I Use Something Else?
Hydroponic nutrients and fertilizers can be expensive; some beginners are tempted to use products intended for soil-based gardens. In some cases, this might work over the short term, but it’s not the best idea. As discussed, your hydroponics garden requires specific nutrients that are available in the soil; these elements will not be available in standard products. The wrong product can essentially starve your garden. In addition, many commercial plant foods and fertilizer contain urea or sulfate of ammonia, which are fine in dirt gardens, but can be deadly in water gardens.
One last word on selecting nutrients and fertilizers for your hydroponics system: hydroponic does not mean organic, and organic does not mean hydroponic. If organic food is important to you, read labels carefully to ensure that you’re purchasing an organic product. And remember that just because a product is labeled organic, it is not necessarily a hydroponic product. Consider all the soil-based nutrients your plants needs, and your hydroponic system lacks, and make sure you’re feeding your plants everything they need to feed you!
